SAW 0 2
by B.D. Skunkworks
Summary: After surviving a twisted ordeal at the hands of one of Zero's subordinates, Altair rushes to alert the authorities. Meanwhile a young girl named Chihiro is taught the true meaning of trust...
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I feel as though I owe the readers an explanation. You may be wondering why none of the actual SAW movie characters are in my crazy fic, and the explanation is simple...well not really. The reason is; rather than using the actual characters, I like to use the anime characters that most resemble that particular person. I really sit there and pour through my anime collection, watching countless DVD's to find their anime equivalents. I won't spoil who is supposed to be who, in case your wondering, but I'm sure you'll be able to figure that out as the fic goes on.

secondly, my fic is a really backasswards example of a movie Xover, I'll explain why.

While it is based on the idea of the SAW movies, they don't really resemble each other. I use characters from EVERY media there is; anime, manga, video games, even some hentai characters. (If you know your stringendo accelerendo, you'll recongnize the girl in part 1).

If the character is fictional, and I think they have a place in the fic, then in they go. Characters from all over end up in here, if you keep your eyes open, you might find some of your faves. So anyway, that's what you need to know, and now, on to the reason you're here...

##############################################################################

It was dark, then again, it's always dark when your eyes are closed. Shiraki slowly fluttered them open and was met with more darkness. Now that her senses were coming back to her, she realized she was choking. Her first instinct was to swallow, she could still do that, but something was still caught in her throat. She raised her hands to her mouth and almost screamed; if she could have. Something was attached to her mouth; it was hard and cold, like metal. There was what felt like a long plastic tube fed into her mouth, and no doubt, ran all the way to her stomach. She stood bolt upright and felt her way along the device. It was strapped around her body with black leather belts. She felt around her her back and found what felt like an oxygen tank there.

She tried to scream for help, but all that escaped was a strangled sort of gurgle. And then the lights flashed on; Shiraki sheilded her eyes against them. When they finally adjusted, she saw something before her that she couldn't make sense of. At the opposite side of the room there was a door; it was wide open, but between her and the door was what looked like some kind of maze that ran along the roof. Before she had time to fathom any of this , a small old-fashioned television set flickered to life to her right. The grainy image crackled into focus and Shiraki let out another choked scream. The image on the screen looked some kind of elaborate carnival mask. It seemed to resemble an insect, with gaping pincer-like jaws and three glowing green eyes. It slowly turned in her direction and paused for just a moment before it began to speak:

"_Hello, Shiraki, I want to play a game. Over the past few years you have proved yourself to be good at one thing; gaining people's favor. You win their alledgiance with your well-rehearsed and superficial jargon, force-feeding them exactly what it is they want to hear but never making good on your promises. This has worked out well for you in your perfect little world; leading the masses of your school on a blissful path to nowhere. Now, Shiraki, we'll see if you can reach the end of my path._

_ The device you are wearing has a tube that runs to your stomach, when this message is done playing, that device wil activate; the tank strapped to your back will be emptied into your stomach. Don't worry, it's only water, but remember, too much of a good thing can be bad for you. The only way to remove the device is with the key on the other side of the room, but to get there, you'll have to navigate the pole on your back through the rail maze on the cieling. Oh, and I wouldn't reccomend letting that pole touch the sides of the maze, or else you'll be in for a shocking experience, hehehe... let the game begin."_

Before Shiraki could string her terrified thoughts together, the device on her back groaned to life, just as the message said. Shiraki could feel the rush of water as it hummed down the tube and directly into her stomach. Shiraki was positive there was more water in that tank than her stomach could hold; she had to move now. She stood up and carefully lined the pole rising from the tank between the rails of the maze. Shiraki shut her eyes and cried silently as she realized the true gravity of what was really happening hit her. What had she done to deserve this? She focused her tear-blurred eyes and looked up to the cieling, and slowly, ever so slowly, took her first steps into the maze.

Shiraki kept her eyes to the ceiling as she tip-toed left, and then right, and left again. She stopped and shudderd as the water began to build in her ever-expanding stomach. It hurt so much, she clutched her swollen belly and gurgled in pain. she wobbled slightly but snapped erect again remembering the electrified rails. Shiraki slowly plodded her way through the second half of the maze. It was so much harder to focus on the ceiling with the pain in her belly growing with every step. Every movement felt as though it would rip her stomach open for sure; but she knew she was almost there. She moved slowly left and to the right, going with the pattern of the maze. shiraki could see the key now, it hung from a chain in the middle of the open doorway.

Shiraki's pain and desperation were increasing rapidly, her stomach was streached far beyond the human capacity, if she didn't reach the key now...

then her desperation won the battle, she moved as fast as she could around the last corner, all she had to do now was take this god-forsaken thing off of her. She ripped the key from the chain. She fumbled around the leather straps on her chest and found the padlock holding them together. But... even her desperation and accelerated adrenalin couldn't stop the wildfire of pain from her stomach. She doubled over in absolute agony; her stomach had reached it's limit, even the seal around her mouth couldn't stop the leaking water as her body desperately worked it's gag reflex. She fumbled with the key around the lock but her pain took away any coordination she had left. she dropped the key and tugged ferociously at the tube in her mouth, but it was strapped around her head and wouldn't budge. And then, that's when it happened.

Her stomach exploded.

It tore directly down the middle in a grusome seam. Gallons of water, blood, and the contents of her stomach sloshed across the room. This didn't instantly kill her; but god she wished it would have; dispite knowing her death was certain, Shiraki's brain funtion hadn't slowed a bit. She stood on her shaky last legs and looked down and was actually able to see her intestines dangling from her abdomen. She let out a weak gurgle, most of which was blood working it's way up her throat. She took one awkward step, then another; then collapsed sideways to the floor...

SAW 0

/ 2 \

-END OF CHAPTER 1


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

The scene was alive with activity; which is strange to say, because life, or rather _the loss of life, _was the focus of this particular crowd. Amid the crush of police officers and investigators was a young man with shaggy brown hair. He was knelt no less than an inch away from the object of everyone's focus; the unidentified body of a young girl. "Jesus..." he sighed. "Michael, what have you got for me?"

"Hold your horeses," said back another young man with blond hair and glasses. He stood behind his collegue and typed away on a travel sized notebook computer. "Got it. So her name is Rika Shiraki, a student attending St. Hermelin high school."

"Thought I reconized that uniform." The browned haired detective said.

"Apparently she had to cross from one side of the room to the other to get a key that would have unlocked that thing strapped to her."

"And after coming so far..." he pitied. "Anyway, where's Miho?"

"On her way from the police station. She was interigating a boy who gave an account that has a few qaulities similar to this one." Michael said

"You're telling me this isn't an isolated insident?"

"No, it's not," said a new voice from the doorway.

The two detectives turned to the owner of the voice, Miho Karasuma. "The boy had quite an incredible story to tell," she continued. "And it all sounded alot like what we've got here." She crossed the room and knelt near Rika's body. She withdrew a small flashlight from her pocket and ran the beam along the corpse until she found what she was looking for. "Four," she muttered. "Everything syncs up; these cases are definatly related."

"How can that be?" Michael interjected. "All the bodies found on that train had the number 'seven' on them."

"What, is this maniac keeping count?"

"Maybe, Sakaki," Karasuma said. "All we do know for sure is that whoever is doing this, must be stoped."

##################################################################################

"I feel weird." Chihiro came to an abrubt stop in the hospital's courtyard.

Her friend Fuuka walked several paces onward then stoped when she realized Chihiro was no longer following her. "Hey c'mon," she said, tugging Chihiro's arm. "We're just visiting Maki, that's all. Do hospitals give you the creeps or something?"

"It's not the hospital..." Chihiro wimpered. Chihiro always suffered from being shy, at least that's what those around her called it. Unknown to her companions, her "shyness" was more of an an anxiety of crowds; or of people in general. For some reason she really couldn't really bring herself to put her trust in any individual, especially a stranger.

"C'mon, c'mon, you promised me already, remember? You can't back out on me now," Fuuka whined.

"I know. I'm sorry," Chihiro said with a faulty smile.

The two continued walking towards the hospitals main entrance, passing many people on thier way. Most of them were patiants in wheelchairs or sitting on benches. Chihiro hated looking at them. Confined to those aweful metal chairs with bags of some colored god-knows-what leaking into their veins. Did they really think they'd somehow become well just by sitting outside? The faster Chihiro left this place, the better.

They were just about to the entrance when Fuuka's cell phone went off. Chihiro's ears perked up when she recognized the ring tone. "Is that 'welcome home'?"

"My fave song ever." She walked away from Chihiro a little to gain a semblance of privacy, but she could still hear her strained response to her caller, "I told you not to call me that here..." she walked out of range and Chihiro was ignorant to the rest of the conversation. In the few seconds she was alone, Chihiro cast an anxious look around the courtyard. An old women in a wheelchair gave her a friendly smile and a small wave. Chihiro could not bring herself to return either gesture. She instead looked down to the ground at her feet. Fuuka returned and said quickly, "Sorry about that, a friend of mine."

She replaced her phone in her pocket and the two entered the hospital. Fuuka approached the reception desk and inquired about her friend. Chihiro opted to stay back a few paces.

"Okay thank you," She said upon getting her information.

Fuuka lead them up a flight of stairs and down a busy corrider. And that's when a thought occured to her. "Hey, Fuuka, isn't this that hospital with that huge underground facility?"

"Yes, it is," she said back. "But the underground section's been abandoned for years. It was some guy's idea to expand the hospital without taking up anymore space on the land above, or else they'd go over their contract. So they decided to build underground, but the idea was dropped halfway into construction. Great waste of time that was."

"Mmm..."

The two of them arrived at room 362 and Fuuka knocked softly on the door. A nurse answered and slowly opened the door. "Oh good to see you again , Fuuka." she said.

"Hello. How's Maki?"

"She's been doing better lately. Maybe all your visits are doing some good for her."

The nurse held the door open for the two of them, but Chihiro was a little tentative to enter. "C'mon honey it's all right," she said. "Maki already has company, so come in and join the party."

Chihiro braved a smile and stepped into the room.

"Alright. just remember to hit the call button if you need anything" the nurse said on her way out.

She closed the door behind her and Chihiro surveyed the room. Fuuka was already sitting on the edge of the bed talking to a young sickly-looking girl. She had black hair and eyes, which seemed even darker with her skin so pale and ashen. But some of her color seemed to come back while she spoke to Fuuka. She let out a giggle as Fuuka told her something Chihiro couldn't quite hear.

Chihiro's gaze wandered around the room and that's when she noticed another girl in the room. She was seated in the corner of the room on a hard plastic chair. She looked like one of those delinquent types; dressed in all black, a short black dress and long black leather boots. Each of her fingernails were also painted black. Her bright gold-blonde hair seemed to offset her look, Chihiro was suprised it wasn't black as well.

The girl was lazily filing her nails when she looked up and noticed Chihiro for the first time, and her painted crimson lips curved into a smile. "Hey, Fuuka, is she the one you were telling me about?" she said.

"Yep, that's her," was Fukka's response.

The blonde girl laughed silently to herself and continued working on her nails.

Suddenly , Chihiro wanted to be out of that room. "Um...I have to go use the bathroom..."

"Down the hall, fourth door on the left," said the blonde girl. "You can't miss it."

Chihiro dashed from the room. On her way to the restroom she passed more people than she cared to remember, none of them she made eye contact with. she found the door to the restroom and hurried inside, luckily it was empty. Chihiro inspected each of the stalls to make sure none of them were occupied and then entered the middle one. She sat on the toilet and burried her face in her didn't have to use the bathroom at all, she just needed an excuse to be out of that room.

Chihiro's dispairing thoughts were broken by the bathroom door swinging open. She immediatly sat up strait and did her best to remain quiet, why she didn't know, it just seemed like shared bathroom manners to keep the your...business...to yourself.

Chihiro could hear a pair of heels click-clak their way over to the stalls, she could see the shadow of their owner projected scross the room. And whoever the person was, they stoped right outside the stall Chihiro was in. she looked down and in the space between the door and the floor she saw a pair of shiny black leather boots...a pair of _familiar_ shiny black leather boots. "Um, this one's occupied." Chihiro called out. If the person heared her, the gave no inclanation. Suddenly she saw a hand slip under the door and a small silver canister rattled into the stall. Chihiro shot up and and tried to break the door down. The canister emitted some kind of invisible gas that burned Chihiro's throat. The room around her swam and she fell to her knees, and then everthing went black.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Chihiro's eyes snapped open, the problem was, she couldn't recall ever closing them. She found herself still sitting on the same toilet she was on when she walked into this room. Her body was slumped over to the left and her face was smashed against the wall of the bathroom stall. Her body felt heavy, as though it were still half asleep. Just what had happened? Then a new detail shocked her fully awake; on the stall door in front of her was something that clearly wasn't there before; a vibrant red question mark, it's crimson paint still dripping.

Panic had now set in; Chihiro's legs fullyregained their function and allowed her to stand up. The sudden rush of blood to her brain brought back her a new wave of dizziness, and the memory of what happened. She remembered the stranger who enterd the room, and the canister of knock-out gas. Had someone kidnapped her? And if so, who would do this to her? Chihiro decided that she wouldn't find her answers in this stall, she had to get moving. She slowly unlatched the bolt lock on the door and even more slowly, creaked it open.

Upon taking in her surroundings, one thing was evident strait away; this was not the same bathroom she had entered the first time. This one was much more delapidated; it looked as though it hadn't been used in ages, no way anyone would actually come in here.

Chihiro's footfalls echoed back at her as she took her first tenative steps around this grimy place. When she reached the door, two more things jumped to her attention. On the door to the room, written in the same red paint as the stall door, were the words:

_TRUST IS KEY_

Chihiro's breathing grew heavier at reading this, was all this some kind of joke? That notion was shot down by another detail she noticed, a small tape recorder hanging from the door's handle. Chihiro wrested it from it's place and held it in her trembling hands. Written on the device were the words 'PLAY ME'. Whatever was happing here, maybe this tape held some answers. Chihiro pressed the play button and immediatly felt her spine run cold:

_"Hello, Chihiro. You don't know anything about me or what's going on around you right now, but I know all about you. I know all about your little fear, or in your case, phobia. Not just of men, but of all those around you. Over the years you've done your best to shut out the rest of the world; you've never made an attempt to trust any of those people you try so desperatlely to shut out, the very same people you interact with each and every day. Well today, Chihiro, you will learn the true meaning of trust._

_ Inside this place you will find five people in dire need of your help. The means of their survival have been made readily availible to them, but their fate's are in your hands, Chihiro._

_You will have one hour to not only save thier lives, but your own as well. when the timer reaches zero, the doors will lock, and this place will become your grave. Remember, Chihiro, trust is key. Let the game begin."_

Chihiro let the recorder drop from her limp hand. This wasn't a joke anymore, someone had gone through the effort of making this all too real. She rested against the door and sobed loudly. she had never meant to shut anyone out, who was she really hurting? Now she had to suffer through some little phycho's revenge? None of this made any sense. But if what the message said was true, then she had to get moving. She slowly pressed on the rusted metal door and it slowly squeaked open.

#######################################################################

Karasuma knuckled her eyes and yawned. She had opted to work late tonight, to further investigate the murders related to case number zero. She had been clicking her way through file after file on the STNJ's database, but was still unable to find any solid leads.

"Having much fun?" said a bored voice from behind her.

Karasuma knew who it was without having to turn around, "Time of my life," she said back with another yawn. "We missed you at the murder scene today, how come?"

The new entrant leaned over Karasuma's chair back and rested an arm on the computer table, as to lean closer to the screen, "I was on another call. A man named Ryotaro Dojima asked to see me. He said he was the boy's uncle."

"Amon, why would you keep something like that from us?" Karasuma asked.

"I just told you didn't I?" Amon drawled back. "Find anything out?" he said with his eyes sweeping the computer screen.

"The only things that draw these cases together are those numbers on the bodies. If we could figure out what they meant..."

"Maybe it's a chronological thing."Amon offerd.

"No, it just doesn't sync up." karasuma counterd. "If that's the case, then why would we find number seven first?" Karasuma's eyes lit up suddenly. "That boy, Altair, is he still at the station?"

"As far as I know."

"Good. I need to talk to him again."

"No, just leave that to me." Amon steadied her.

"Any particular reason why?" Karasuma asked.

"I have the boy's uncle coming in from Inaba, I'll be able to talk to them both in the same place that way." Amon rose from his position and walked to the door, "I'll phone in the verdict." His black trench coat swished through the door and he was gone.

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Chihiro had been wandering these dark halls for what felt like forever. Above her, ancient light fixtures crackled and flickered, barely clinging to life. she walked past several locked doors, then she noticed something; a wheelchair. What was something like that doing here? The old wheelchair sat next to what she reconized as an IV machine. Wasn't that medical equipment? And that's when Chihiro realized where she was; she was in the hospitals' abandoned underground expansion, but how could that be? It was supposed to be sealed off. Question after question ran through her head, none of which she had any answers to. The only escape, was to abide by the rules.

Chihiro's steps halted when she came across a pair of double doors. They stood out for one reason, inscribed on them in the familiar red lettering were the words:

_SHE'S COUNTING ON YOU_

1 2 3 4

Chihiro recalled part of her original message: '_you will find five people in dire need of your help...' _ this was her first ordeal. She placed her hands on each of the doors and slowly pushed them open. Complete darkness was the first thing that met her, but she had the feeling the space she was in was big. suddenly the double doors slamed shut behind her and the blinding lights flared on. The scene that met chihiro's eyes was one she couldn't hope to make sense of. Before her was an enourmous rectangular glass box, but it was the person inside the box that made Chihiro's knees go weak.

The young woman was strapped up inside the box, her head drooping to her chest. suddenly she snapped awake and screamed, "Help me!" her eyes fell on Chihiro and she she gasped. "what are you doing here?"

"Mitsuru..."Chihiro moaned weakly.

Before anything else was said, a small television set that Chihiro hadn't noticed before flickered to life on her left. Both of their heads whipped around in it's direction, as a grainy image came into focus on the screen. Who or_ what_ it was, Chihiro couldn't tell. she could best describe the image as some kind of insect, with glowing green Slowly swiveld it's grotesque face towards the two of them. Then it started to speak, Chihiro instantly recognized the blood chilling voice from the tape she first heard:

"_Chihiro, welcome to your firt test of trust. The woman before you is someone you know well, someone you work with everyday. As student council president it's Mitsuru's job to make sure tasks are carried out quickly and efficiantly, when she gives an order, she expects it to be obeyed. Now Chihiro, we'll see where your obediance lies._

_ In order for Mitsuru to survive, she'll need your help, Chihiro. In front of the glass box you'll find a keypad, it lies between two mounted blades. Mitsuru has already been given the combination to the lock, and so have you, Chihiro. But only one combination may be used, if the wrong combination is imput, the blades will close, and you will both will be condemed to no choice is made, Chihiro, then you will have the weight of an inoccent person's death to carry with you throughout your trials. Let the game begin."_

_ "_Who the fuck is that?" Mitsuru screamed. She wriggled her body desperately, but the chains holding her in place wouldn't give. "What the hell's going on?"

Before Chihiro could answer, another set of lights flared on, these revealing a huge cylndrical object. At once the object slowly began to turn. Chihiro thought this thing looked familiar, where had she seen one of these things before?

And that's when Mitsuru let out a scream. Chihiro whipped around and saw that a thick grey liquid had begun to fill the box from the bottom up. "Jesus Christ!"

Now Chihiro knew what was in that container

"Don't just stand there, HELP ME!"

Chihiro steadied herself and observed the trap before her. To get to that keypad she had to walk between two mounted blades that ran vertically at waist level. They were'nt close enough to touch her, but close enough to remind her they were there. She slowly sidled her way between them and found she was close enough to touch the glass box. "The message said you knew the combonation..."

" 4321! 4321! God just get me out of here!" the cement had passed Mitsuru's knees and was rising quickly.

"Wait..." Chihiro remembered what was written on the door; 1234.

"Why are you just standing there? Put the combonation in now!"

"I was given one too! I just-"

"JUST FUCKING DO IT!" the cement had reached her waist; time was running out.

Chihiro thought as fast as she could. She had a stake in this as well, if she used the wrong number, the blades would close and she'd be cut in half.

"Please, help...me..." Mitsuru's screams had been reduced to desperate sobs.

Chihiro couldn't act. This whole setup was absolutely sick. She had to do something, or Mitsuru would die. Her hand quivered over the keypad as she deliberated her decision, which number? Chihiro glanced up and gasped, "Oh my god..."

"Hurry!" the cement was at her neck level now, she only had a few seconds left.

She couldn't do it. Knowing that the wrong number would cost her her life. If inaction meant she could walk out of this room, then so be it. Chihiro took a step back and burried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry," she moaned.

"What are you doing?" Mitsuru screamed. "Help me!" That was the last breath she took. The huge cylinder's whirring and Chihhiro's cries were the only sounds to be heard. But suddenly, there was a new sound, the device beneath Chihiro came to life. Two iron rods rose from the floor and clamped themselves around her neck.

"No! " just as suddenly as they came, they retracted again. Chihiro felt her neck and found that a heavy metal collar had been placed there. She wobbled out of the machine and nearly fell over backwards, something was pulling her head down. She felt the collar again and found a chain that was attached to the back of it. The chain was about half the length of her body and had some kind of weight attached to it. Chihiro moaned in agony, she could hardly keep her head strait, her neck musles were already cramping with the effort. "Oh, fuck!"

Chihiro cried out in frustrated pain. She could hardly move with this thing attached to her. But that's when another detail came to her attention. The electric timer above the doorway read, 46:18... and was still ticking. Chihiro cried again and slowly hobbled her way to the room's exit.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Amon walked through the double glass doors to the police agentcey. Dispite the new rash of murders and suspicious activity, the station seemed reletively subdued. It looked to Amon like it was just business as usual, as there was never really much to police in this quiet little city. He approached the front desk, "I'm here to see Altair." he said.

"Right down the hall, detective" said the receptionist. "Third room on the right."

Amon took the que and headed down the hall, passing a few mildly busy personel on the way. He reached the door that read, "Intergation room 3" and opened it. Sitting alone in the room was a young gray-haired boy who looked about sixteen years of age. He remained silently staring at the table he was seated at, despite hearing the door swing open.

"Altair." The boy stayed silent, it was as though he were in a trance. He was most likely traumatized after the ordeal had been through. Amon pulled a chair from the corner of the gray room and sat down opposite Altair. "I'm with the STNJ," he began, "We've been investigating the ordeal you've recounted to another of our detectives, and we found another inccident that could possibly be related. Since you're the only lead we have at the moment, it's vital that you cooperate with us. So could you please-"

"She told me to appreciate my life." those were the first words he spoke in many hours. His voice carried with almost no vitality at all, like he was completely absent of mind and body.

"Who did?"

"Seven."

"Who's seven?"

"The woman."

Amon realised that this was going to go in circles. "I'd like to ask a favor of you, Altair. Do you remember where all this happened?" The boy nodded. "Take me there. You won't be in any danger, I'll be your personal escort, and I'll have backup ready if need be."

without any hesitation Altair rose from his chair and headed out the door, Amon actually had to hurry to keep up with him. They got a few strange looks from the officers as they made their way to the front door. "He's with me, don't worry." was all Amon had to say.

The two of them piled into his black cruiser and they set off in the direction of the train station. It only took them forty-five minites to get there with Altair's knowledge of short cuts.

"The train is still on the tracks, so we can't really drive up there," Altair informed him. Amon parked the car and they headed into the terminal. when they reached the platform they had to climb down onto the tracks. Amon flashed his bage at a trackworker to dismiss any suspicion. Altair walked quickly down the track, his destination was in sight.

Upon approaching the five car train, they both realized something was wrong.

"You said there was an investigation going on; where is everyone?" Altair asked.

"They should be here already." was the confused response. He cupped his hands around his eyes to better block out the sunlight and peerd in one of the windows. "This doesn't make sense..." he thought for a moment and came to a decision. "let's have a look inside."

He pulled open the car's door and they both climbed in. The power in the train as turned off, so the only light came in through the train's windows.

"This is impossible," Altair cried. The car was completly empty, there were no signs whtasoever that anything out of the ordinary ever happened here. Altair ran through the door to the next car and was met with the same thing- nothing. He ran back to Amon's position and turned on the spot several times, "It's all gone!" Amon simply stared at the cieling while Altair glared at him in confusion. Then all of a sudden, he felt something on his neck. He couldn't describe the sensation, it was over before he knew it was there. The room around him swam out of focus and he collapsed; he was out before he hit the floor.

Amon's reaction to this was; "Took you long enough."

The sunlight played over the assailant revealing a woman of indeterminate age. She wore glasses over her dark eyes and a sweater that was at least four sizes too big for her. "I didn't think he would be foolish enough to come back." she said.

"well, he didn't need much persueding," Amon said as he nudged the unconcious Altair with his foot.

"And now it's your turn," said the woman as she approached Amon. She withdrew another silver needle from her sweater.

"You have everything in place?" Amon asked her.

"Everything is going according to plan. There are no flaws in zero's logic."

"Unless we make one," he said back.

The woman laughed softly, "Careful with that kind of thinking," she said. Then she stabbed the needle into his neck. "Now lie down before you pass out, You're too big for me to move you myself." Amon obeyed and layed face down in the center of the floor, then he was out. The strange woman smiled to herself again. "Perfect."

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Chihiro sttagered and collapsed into an ancient rusty wheelchair. She didn't know how long the thing had been there or whether it was safe to sit on, but she didn't care, she needed to alleviate the pain in her neck somehow. She struggled again with the weighted collar around her neck and to no avail. Chihiro took several deep breath and slowly stood up again, she knew the timer was still ticking; she had to keep moving. She hobbled to the end of the darkened hall and saw a crimson arrow pointed to the left, no dought in the direction of her next destination. She followed the next halway until it ended at another series of double doors. Above them was a broken neon sign that she could barely make out, upon closer inspection she saw that it read 'OPERATING ROOM' On the doors in the sick red lettering Chihiro had grown strangely used to seeing were the words:

_ONLY THE TRUTH CAN BE HEARD_

Chihiro burried her face in her hands and moaned though her sudden tears; this was beyond any nightmare she ever imagined; she wanted it to end. She slowly pushed her way through the doors and was again met with complete darkness. If her voice was working she would have called out, but fear had seemingly closed her throat. Then the overhead lights flared on and Chihiro was met with her next ordeal. There were two operating tables before her; what made Chihiro's blood go cold was the fact that both of them were occupied. There was one person strapped down to each of the tables; they weren't moving. Chihiro timidly approached the space between the two of them and-

"Hello?" Chihiro shrieked and stumbled into the opposite table. "Oh, god..." the young boy was slowly becoming aware of the situation.

And that's when Chihiro finally reconized him. "Hidetoshi?"

"Fushimi!" he cried. "Get me out of here at once!" He squirmed around in his bindings, but the thick leather straps held him to the cold steel table. Before Chihiro could speak again, a flat screen moniter flickered to life in the upper left corner of the room, once again the horrifying image of the bug-person came to her veiw. "What the hell is that?" Hidetoshi screamed. His question went unanswered as the figure began to speak:

_"Hello again, Chihiro. Before you now you will find two people. One of these people you know well; the other is a perfect stranger to you,but only one of them holds the key to your freedom. In order to exit this room you will need to look deeper inside a person than you ever have before. In front of you, you will find the tool necessary for this revelation. One of these people has been given a key, and again, only one of them knows who holds it. Make your decision quickly though, or your hopes of escape will be crushed. Just listen, Chihiro, and you'll find the truth. Let the game begin."_

As the screen went blank Chihiro became aware of the person on the other table to her right. He slowly drifted back into consciesness and turned his horror widened eyes to Chihiro. He was a much older man, and Chihiro could tell by the hospital gown he wore that he was a patient here.

"Chihiro, get me out of here now!" panic had now crept into Hedetoshi's usually bossy voice. Chihiro looked to the other man and realized that he had been rendered incapable of speaking by a leather strap that was fastened around his mouth. Before she could make sense of any of this, another light flashed on in the center of the room, this one revealing a silver table, on it were two things; a small motorized circular saw, and an X-ray picture. Chihiro wasn't an expert on human anatomy, but it was clear that this x-ray depicted someone's chest, what was more disturbing was that in this person's chest, was a key. Chihiro looked from the X-ray to the circular saw and thought she was going to be sick.

"What are you doing?" Hidetoshi screamed. His sentance was barely out when two more lights flared on, these in the ceiling. They revealed two steel plates about the same size and shape of the operating tables the two victims were laying on, they were lined up perfectly with the tables. And at once, thet began to lower.

"Oh, my god..."Chihiro breathed. The older man thrashed wildly in his bindings and tried to scream.

"Jesus Christ! Don't just stand there, DO SOMETHING!"

Chihiro was sickened. Someone in this room had to die in order for her to gain her freedom, but she had to make the right choice, or else they were all dead. She picked up the circular saw and moved between the two tables. What she had to do now was beond anything she could even imagine, but then she remembered Mitsuru; she had already killed once, but strictly for survival, now she was faced with the same decision again.

"MY GOD! What are you doing with that?" Hidetoshi thrashed wildly at the sight of the saw in Chihiro's hands. She chanched a glance upwards and her panic redoubled. The plates were lowering at an alarming rate, she didn't have more than thirty seconds. The older man screamed at the top of his lungs, or at least, that's what Chihiro was sure he was doing, his muffled cried reached new heights of urgency at the site of his incoming death. And that's when Chihiro had a revelation, she thought back to the message 'Only the truth can be heard'

She turned to Hidetoshi with tremmers running though her body. "What are you doing?"

In answer, Chihiro turned on the cirular saw, it's vibrations sending waves of fresh terror throughout the room. "NO DON'T DO IT!" She had to, though she could never forgive herself for it. She raised the saw over Hidetoshi's body- "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD NOOO!"- and plunged the blade into his chest. The sound of tempered steel eating through cloth and flesh and bone was almost unbearable. "AAAARRHHHHHHAAAGGGHH!" The sound of his screams weren't enough to drown out the whir of metal grinding through his chest cavity. Chihiro winced and wretched as blood splattered against her clothes and face, clouding her glasses.

Chihiro had her eyes shut as she cut her way thoug his chest and then became aware of a strange pressure on top of her head. She screamed when she realized what it was. The plate was nearly on them, if she didn't hurry, she would never escape this place. She threw the saw away and plunged her hands into the messy vertical cut she had made in Hidetoshi's chest. She cried and had to swallow back bile as she felt around inside his chest. She could feel each of his ribs and god knows what else was in there. Her desperation doubled as she had to crouch down due to the plate's relentless closing in. Now she was feeling around blind; her arms were litteraly above her head as she groped inside Hidetoshi's chest cavity. Then, just as the she felt the plate beggining to apply pressure to her wrists, her fingers found something inside the wet squelchy mass, it was hard, and it didn't feel like a natural part of a human body. With no time to spare she closed her fingers around it and pulled it out. Instantly, the plates stoped moving. Chihiro thanked god through her tears of horror and disgust, having already killed Hidetoshi, he didn't need anymore dismemberment. She looked down to her cupped hands and saw the blood soaked key there and silently cried again.

She slowly lifted her greif-weighted body and shuffled to the set of locked double doors. A muffled cry sounded behind her. She turned to the older man who's life had just been spared, she could see tears of grateful horror there. He muttered something several times, and then Chihiro walked through the door. She couldn't quite make out what the man had said, but it sounded strangely like, 'Thank You'.

END OF CHAPTER 4


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

"What do you mean he's gone?"

Amon was still smarting from where Dojima's knuckles had collided with his lip and was unable to answer right away. "It's just like I said; he's gone missing."

Recounting old facts didn't ease Dojima's pain in the least bit. "How the hell can you come in here together and end up letting him bet captured?"

"Ryotaro, please..." Karasuma looked to Amon, "How in the world did this happen again?"

"I don't know, I can't remember clearly. We were both in the car when all of a sudden I felt something in my neck. I can't remember anything after that."

Karasuma approached Amon and examined his neck with her flashlight."Ah, looks like a punture wound..."

"No kidding," Amon said back, rubbing his sore neck.

The troop of investigators were busy poking away at the crime scene, checking every last car from top to bottom and all turning up the same exact thing; nothing. That is until Sakaki made a discovery. "Sonuva bitch! Miho, look at this!"

He was crouched on his hands and knees with his head underneath one of the double seats. Karasuma joined him and shone her flashlight through the gap "Sonuva bitch..." she breathed. She extended her black leather-gloved hand underneath and retrieved the object of interest. It was a large hypodermic needle. "This could give us some answers." She sealed the hypo in a plastic evidence baggie and stood up to face Mr. Dojima. "This will likely provide us with the answers we're looking for," she said.

By now, Dojima had regained some semblance of calmness, though it still took every fiber of his being to keep from screaming at this woman, "And what answers could that possibly bring you? You think it will tell you where my nephew is?"

"Not exactly, but we'll get the next best thing; the prints of whoever took him. And that person is likely to be the same one who attacked Amon." Dojima expelled a long breath and clenched his teeth. It was evident to him that these little PI's were content to play who done it until some kind of answer showed up. Well, he didn't have that kind of time, and he was sure Altair didn't either. Before anything else was said, he whiped around and left the crime scene. He knew he didn't have any juristiction in this backwater precinct, but his title would at least afford him the cooperation of the local authorities

Dojima climbed into his black cruiser and keyed the ignition; the car didn't start. "Ah, HELL! NOT NOW!" He turned the key again and once more the engine remained dead silent. Dojima slouched down in the seat and tried to keep himself from screaming again. Altair was in the hands of some lunatic trapmaster and here he was... with a dead battery. Dojima made to lean forward to maybe make another attempt at starting his stupid car, but the hand that suddenly clapped over his mouth made leaning anywhere impossible. Before he could even shoot his arms up to defend himself, there was a quick pop in his neck and everthing began to blur. In his fading conscienceness, Dojima caught sight of something in his rear veiw mirror that didn't make any sense. There were two enourmous yellow eyes with beady black pupils, there was purple...and red a..nd ye...llo...w...

##############################################################################

Chihiro limped down the decrpit corridor not sure which way to go. she was positive she had passed the same door about three times already, but then again, everything pretty much looked the same down here in this half pitch darkness. Chihiro wobbled into another hallway and came to a dead stop. This door looked different than the rest, as it was much larger. The faded peeling letters above it read: ATRIUM. And written on those same doors, in the red lettering that Chihiro had grown strangely familiar with, were the words:

ALL NEED NOT BE LOST

Chihiro stood dazed in the spot, but quickly pulled herself together, every second she wasted here, was another second closer to her death. She pushed open the double doors, with some little difficulty, and entered the pitch black room. "Hello..." she called softly. With no warning, the lights flared on and Chihiro felt dizzy all over again. The scene before her was something she couldn't make sense of, not unlike everything she had witnessed before. But this was different, the whole room had an air of finality to it, she couldn't shake the suspicion that this was her final test.

"Chihiro, help me!" It was Fuuka. She was strapped in the strangest chair she had ever seen. It was made of rusty gray steel and had a steel harness that was attached to the back that rose over her head, keeping her from moving it at all. "Get me out of here!" Chihiro made to dash towards her but the sudden crackle of the P.A. system stoped her in her tracks.

_"Chihiro, welcome to your final test. If you have learned anything along your journey it's that trust is the key to your survival, well now, it will be the key to everyone else's. Before you now is your closest friend, she is your sole focus, however she is not alone in this game."_

At this point, two more lights flashed on, revealing two more people that Chihiro didn't know, they looked like more hospital patients as they were still in their gowns. They were strapped in the same chair that Fuuka was in.

"_You will find that these three people are in identical situations, and all three have been given identical information. Behind these three people you will find three doors, each of them has been given the knowledge that their door is the path to salvation. The choice of which door to take falls upon you, Chihiro. Open the right door and life shall be gifted to you all, in choosing the wrong door, however, death shall be the only reward. Make your decision quickly though, for when the timer hits zero, all shall be lost. Make your choice."_

The P.A. system fell silent as a new sound filled the atrium:

"Please get me out of here!"

"What the hells going on!"

"For the love of god help me!"

Chihiro cringed and coverd her ears. The sounds of these poor people beggeing her to save their lives was too much for her to take. But that's when another sound filled the room. from the floors directly underneath each of the victim's chairs , rose something Chihiro could best describe as a long spinning drill bit. They were rising directly underneath their chins, and they could not move their heads out of their paths.

"This isn't happening, this isn't happening, this isn't happening..." Chihiro could not focus through the fear.

"Chihiro wake up! You gotta help me!" Fukka was to the far left of this demented arragement. "Just open my door, please!"

"No don't do it, it's my door!" screamed the man in the middle.

"No, no , no, it's mine! You can trust me!" said the woman on the other end.

Chihiro looked beyond the three of them to the three doors behind. One of them was the key to their salvation, the other two were paths to thier deaths. Her thoughts were broken by a cry of pure anquished terror from Fukka. The drill bits were halfway up to their chins now as they rose up between the victim's legs in a hole in chairs. If Chihiro didn't decide soon, their brains would be peirced.

"Chihiro just look at me. I wouldn't lie to you, how long have we known eachother? Please help me!"

"Fuck her!" The man spoke up "That's what this maniac wants you to do! he's twanging your heart strings so you'll make the wrong choice! Pick my door, you can save us all!"

Chihiro clenched her teeth and bit back a scream. The woman on the left had given up begging and simply stared at Chihiro with the desperation written all over her face.

"Chihiro, please..." Fukka's voice was barely above a whisper.

Chihiro had to act. She ran around the three chairs and climbed the three stairs to the level the doors were on. The victims couldn't swivel their heads around to see the choice she was about to make, they had to take it on faith that it was the right one.

"Hurry!" Fukka cried.

"Okay...okay..." She paced past each of the doors, thinking as fast as she could. And that's when what the man said came back to her. She placed her hand on the middle door, and as though Fukka could sense what she was doing immediatly screamed,

"No, Chihiro! Don't!"

But her choice had already been made. She pulled as hard as she could on the handle. The door was impossibly heavy, it was at least three foot thick wrought iron. Chihiro had to pull it with both hands to gain any leverage. As soon as she managed to slide it just far enough, she squeezed her way through the crack. Right away the door behind her slamed shut. Chihiro threw her weight against it, but it was hopelessly locked tight. Now she stood in absolute solid darkness, for some reason, she got the sense that the room she was in was no larger than a broomcloset. She stood there waiting for something to happen. And then a solitary lightbulb flashed to life on the cieling, bathing the room in a haunting red glow. And there, written on the back wall were the last words Chihiro would ever see:

GAME OVER

-SAW 0-2 End

Whew, that was an ordeal. I'm really sorry about the lenth between chapter posts, I've been busy with alot of stuff. Anyway thanks for reading and be assured that part three is coming.


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